Afternoon tea at The Savoy review

It’s probably no surprise that I’m a big fan of afternoon teas – not just because of the cakey buns *cough* but because I think it’s a brilliant idea for a special occasion if you’re celebrating a birthday or anniversary with different generations and want something everyone can enjoy. And The Savoy is one of my favourite luxury hotels in the world, so I could’t wait to experience their Wildflower afternoon tea. Here’s my afternoon tea at The Savoy review.

The setting

Afternoon tea at The Savoy is presented in the beautiful Thames Foyer, which has a fabulous glass dome and gorgeous flowers everywhere.

We were thrilled to find ourselves seated in the stunning winter garden gazebo, and there was a pianist playing, adding to the sense of occasion.

I absolutely fell in love with The Savoy china pattern, isn’t it gorgeous?

The menu

There are two menus for afternoon tea – one Traditional (from £52.50) and one ‘high tea’ (from £55.50). The main difference between the two is that you get a smoked salmon brioche with the high tea; wishing not to appear too greedy, we opted for the traditional tea. Both menus though include the option of adding a glass of Champagne to start with, which of course we decided to do (presented in these wonderful glasses), and a dizzying array of tea to choose from (I opted for Earl Grey – creature of habit).

The service

The service at The Savoy, as you might expect given it’s one of the best luxury hotels in the world, is always absolutely impeccable – discreet, unobtrusive but anticipating your every need, and in the Thames Foyer it’s no exception. The staff were absolutely charming: they made helpful suggestions, laughed at our jokes *cough* and took time to explain everything to us. At no point did we feel rushed, and we were offered as much as we could possibly eat (and more).

The food

Oh. My.

The first stage of our afternoon tea arrived on a stand with three tiers, with sandwiches on the bottom two and scones (warm, with jam and clotted cream) on the top.

The sandwiches all tasted as though they had just been freshly made, the bread was soft and fresh and they were a very good size. The (very generous) fillings included Wiltshire bone ham with whole grain mustard and apple chutney, coriander chicken on olive bread (my personal favourite), Scottish smoked salmon with lemon-infused creme fraiche, and of course cucumber – but cucumber with a culinary twist, served with minted cream cheese on herb and spinach bread. Fabulous.

Somehow we all managed to have at least two of each kind of sandwich each and then moved on to the scones, which were still warm and crumbly and delicious.

The cakes

And then it was time for the Wildflower Afternoon Tea pastries, which were brought in on a silver tray. The decoration on all the pastries was exquisite, so pretty.

Feeling more than a little full at this point (even though we were offered as many as we liked) I opted for the Lavender eclair, which was light and fabulous; a Bittersweet Raspberry shortbread pastry filled with chocolate mousse and fresh raspberries (SO good); and my personal favourite, the Savoy macaroon filled with wild jelly rose-scented Chantilly. Absolute heaven, so light and sweet.

And then just as we put down our pastry forks, and wondering how on earth we were going to waddle home, we were offered MORE CAKE. This time it was slices of two gateaux – Victoria Sponge and Three Chocolates, the Thames Foyer Signature Cakes. We politely (but regretfully) declined – whereupon we were offered the slices to take home with us in a smart black Savoy gift bag. Well, it would have been rude not to, wouldn’t it?

Conclusion

So as you’ve probably guessed from my afternoon tea at the Savoy review, this is a fabulous, memorable experience, one you’ll probably remember and dream about long after you’ve enjoyed that last slice of cake. Fantastic ambience, delicious food, excellent service and superb value for money; a great way to celebrate something special. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Coincidentally, next week is Afternoon Tea week. What a good idea.